All about outfits #810 – #815

Cat patterns, neckerchiefs, tracksuits and suspenders. All a part of this quirky 1988/9 series.

Summary information about the 800s series: 800’s Regular Kid Outfits, Pt. 1
All about outfits #804 – #809

I believe that most of these outfits came in about six versions, but some came with more and some with less. Most use letters A – F (ish), except the three later Coleco outfits that only came on Growing Hair Kids, which use the letters F, G, H.

NOTE ABOUT SHOES: The shoes noted as coming with each outfit are those I have the most evidence for. However, Coleco has been known to throw anything on a kid (for whatever reason), and during this time, they were trying to get rid of stock, so anything is possible. So, in a way, this is only a guideline.

#810 HASBRO – Sweater top and shorts

Outfit: It has a shirt made of sweater material with a large heat transfer patch on the front and brightly coloured and patterned shorts.

Shoes: Striped sneakers

Other Information
This outfit only came on boys and, because it’s a Hasbro outfit, likely wasn’t sold until 1989.

Similar Outfits

  • The shirt in #182 looks very similar. Some may even be the same shirt with different tags inside. This does make some sense, as they were being manufactured around the same time.
Outfit 182E, P factory: Black bomber jacket over a sweater with large heat transfer on the chest and red pants.
Photo courtesy of Vanessa Brisson.
  • The top from the Hasbro boy’s poseable kid tracksuit is very similar to the top in this outfit.
Hasbro poseable tracksuit with green trim and main colours of pink, blue and black and white checker.
  • The Hasbro shirt and shorts outfit is very similar; however, upon closer inspection the patterns and the fabric are different.
T-shirt and shorts outfit for Hasbro poseable kid. Top is red with black and white striped sleeves. The shorts are purple with yellow and striped leg.

#811 – Drop waist dress and blouse

Outfit: This is a drop waist dress with ties at the shoulders and a waffle fabric belt. There’s a blouse underneath, and it comes with a matching large puffy hair bow.

Shoes: Ballet Flats?

Other Information
* This outfit is very rare. I believe it only came on Growing Hair Kids in the first half of 1989. I haven’t seen it on a regular 1988 kid yet. This is very strange as it’s a Coleco outfit. However, it uses the letters F, G, and H, and so may be later additions to the series. This may explain why this outfit, and the others like it, didn’t show up until 1989.
* Growing Hair Kid hair accessory is a puffy bow.

#812 COLECO – Tuxedo cat sweat set with shirt

Outfit: This outfit has a sweater material top with a tuxedo style back, key-hole neck cut out, and collar which goes over a shirt with coloured trim. There are matching sweatpants.

Shoes: Saddle shoes (Ref #4, Dec 1988, Vol. 3 Issue 4, p. 1)

Spreadsheet showing which versions of this outfit I have recorded, and which I do not.

Other Information
* This outfit only came on girls.
* Because of the cat design, it is generally very sought after.

Similar Outfit

Outfit #157 looks a little like this outfit if you don’t have the hoodie portion.

Outfit 157A with a sleeveless hoodie, and tracksuit. The main colours are blue, red and yellow.
Photo courtesy of Jodi Issacs.

#812 HASBRO – Tuxedo sweat set with shirt

Outfit: Sweater material top with tuxedo style back, collar, and heat-transfer patch on the chest. There are matching sweatpants.

Shoes: Chunky sneakers

Spreadsheet showing which versions of this outfit I have recorded, and which I do not.

Other Information

This outfit only came on girls and, because it’s a Hasbro outfit, likely wasn’t sold until 1989.

Similar Outfits

It looks like#321, a cornsilk tracksuit outfit, except this outfit has no tuxedo back on the shirt.

Outfit 321B - Purple tracksuit with the letters CPK in a pattern on the shirt.

Hasbro boy’s poseable kid tracksuit, although this one is a lot more colourful.

Hasbro poseable tracksuit with green trim and main colours of pink, blue and black and white checker.

#814 – Dress, blouse and neckerchief

Outfit: This is a suede fabric dress with three buttons on the front and two pockets on the skirt. There’s a button-up blouse underneath, and it comes with a neckerchief.

Shoes: Ballet Flats

Other Information
* This is one of the hardest-to-find outfits in this series, especially with all the parts.
* I have no idea what came under this outfit.
* This outfit is very rare. I believe it only came on Growing Hair Kids in the first half of 1989. I haven’t seen it on a regular 1988 kid yet. This is very strange as it’s a Coleco outfit. However, it uses the letters F, G, and H, and so may be later additions to the series. This may explain why this outfit, and the others like it, didn’t show up until 1989.
* Growing Hair Kid hair accessory unknown. I’m not even sure it came with one.

#815 COLECO – Shirt with suspender pants

Outfit: Pants with attached suspenders, elastic waist and three buttons down the front. A collared shirt with three buttons goes underneath.

Shoes: Ballet Flats

Other Information

This outfit only came on girls.

Similar Outfits

Outfit #180 looks similar if you don’t have the jacket; however, the pattern is on the overalls, not the shirt.

Outfit 180B: Red jacket with crazy pattern and matching overalls and a yellow shirt with red trim.

#815 Hasbro – Shirt with suspender pants

Outfit: Pants with attached suspenders, elastic waist and three buttons down the front. It has a heat-transfer patch on the legs.  A collared shirt with three buttons and coloured trim goes underneath.

Shoes: Striped sneakers

Other Information

This outfit only came on girls, and because it’s a Hasbro outfit, likely wasn’t sold until 1989.

Similar Outfits

Outfit #180 looks similar if you don’t have the jacket; however, the pattern is on the overalls, not the shirt.

Outfit 180B: Red jacket with crazy pattern and matching overalls and a yellow shirt with red trim.

All about outfits #804-#809

Dinosaur overalls, various overalls, suspenders, and safari looks. Find them all in this first half of the series.

Summary information about the 800s series: 800’s Regular Kid Outfits, Pt. 1
All about outfits #810 – #815

I believe that most of these outfits came in about six versions, but some came with more and some with less. Most use letters A – F (ish), except the three later Coleco outfits that only came on Growing Hair Kids, which use the letters F, G, H.

NOTE ABOUT SHOES: The shoes noted as coming with each outfit are those I have the most evidence for. However, Coleco has been known to throw anything on a kid (for whatever reason), and during this time, they were trying to get rid of stock, so anything is possible. So, in a way, this is only a guideline.

#804 – Safari Outfit

Outfit: Top and pants
Shoes: Striped Sneakers

Other Information
* There are two different shirt patterns, each matched with three pairs of pants. Therefore, I think there are six outfits in total.
* This outfit only came on boys.

#805 – Unidentified

#806 – Top and Shorts with tie

Outfit: Button-up top and shorts that have a material belt
Shoes: Ballet Flats

Other Information
* This outfit only came on girls.

#807 – Dino Overalls

Outfit: White t-shirt with coloured trim and overalls.
Shoes: Striped Sneakers

Other Information
* This is the most frequently copied of the outfits in this series. This outfit is VERY popular.
* This outfit only came on girls.

Similar Outfits

There are many similar outfits, in that they are all overalls with a shirt underneath. However, they are generally not confused with this outfit as the pattern on these overalls is VERY distinctive. The following are the only exceptions.

#143 is a transitional period packaged outfit with a cameo pattern. Sometimes this is considered part of this series, as it came out about the same time. It is not.

Outfit #143: Packaged CPK outfit. It's purple and white cameo pattern overalls with a white t-shirt with purple trim.

Some versions of #875, a toddler overall style outfit, also came in a dinosaur-patterned fabric.

Outfit 875: Pink and white stripedruffled toped overalls with a white blouse underneath. The overalls have yellow and blue dinosaurs on them.
Photos courtesy of Sarah Bensette-Renaud.

#808 COLECO – Romper with tie and Shirt

Outfit: Collared button-up shirt with a full-length romper that ties at the shoulders and which has a matching fabric belt. There is one pocket on the romper and no patches.
Shoes: Ballet Flats; maybe Kissing Kid shoes?

Other Information
* There’s some evidence that a few of these outfits came with Hasbro Kissing Kid shoes, which would be very odd.
* This outfit came on some Growing Hair Kids in the first half of 1989.
* This outfit only came on girls.

#808 HASBRO – Romper with tie and Shirt

Outfit: Collared button-up shirt under a full-length romper which ties at the shoulders and has a fabric belt. There is one pocket on the romper, and there is at least one heat transfer patch on the shirt or the romper. Some have more than one patch.
Shoes: Striped sneakers

Other Information
* This outfit only came on girls.

#809 COLECO – Pants with suspenders & shirt

Outfit: Pants with a small bib and suspenders consisting of pleather pieces and plastic buckle and loop. The collared shirt has a pastel stained-glass pattern to it.
Shoes: Unknown

Other Information
* This outfit is very rare. I believe it only came on Growing Hair Kids in the first half of 1989. I haven’t seen it on a regular 1988 kid yet. This is very strange as it’s a Coleco outfit. However, it uses the letters F, G, and H, and so maybe later additions to the series. This may explain why this outfit, and the others like it, didn’t show up until 1989.
* Growing Hair Kid hair accessory unknown.
* This outfit is aesthetically and materially different from the other outfits in this series.

#809 HASBRO – Pants with suspenders and shirt

Outfit: Pants with a small bib and attached suspenders. It also has a patch on the bib. Under is a collared shirt with no buttons.
Shoes: Unknown, maybe Saddle Shoes

Other Information
* Unlike other Coleco/Hasbro pairings in this series, the two #809 outfits look markedly different.

Similar Outfits

#180 looks similar if you don’t have the jacket. Hasbro poseable kid’s girl coveralls and general overalls.

Continue to : Outfits #810 – #815

800’s Regular Kid Outfits – Summary

Dino overalls, safari outfits, and confusion are all part of this 1988 series. Finally straighten out the confusion between these outfits, Designer Line and other outfits.

All About Outfits #804 – #809
All about Outfits #810 – #815

There are 14 outfits in this series, #804 – #815, as well as two missing outfits, #805 and #813. All of the outfits were made by the KT factory or by Hasbro. Most of them likely came on KT kids. I am unsure if these outfits came with underwear, diapers, or panties. Do you know? Finally, they came with a variety of shoes depending on the outfit, including striped sneakers, ballet flats, saddle shoes, and chunky sneakers.

Photos courtesy of Chris Hansing Tallman, Jodi Issacs, Dani, Melissa Crick Gore, Kat Perhouse, and Jennifer Runnoe.

Most of the outfits in this series came out in 1988 on regular yarn-haired kids, but they can also be found on 1989 dolls. Consequently, they are often confused with Designer Line and Hasbro Poseable Kid outfits. They are also often described as transitional and some are, but many are not. (To learn about what I consider transitional, visit Transitional Period CPK Outfits – A Summary) To add to the confusion, some of these outfits also came on 1989 Growing Hair Kids, but Growing Hair outfits didn’t come on regular kids, and a few of the outfits in this series may have only come out in 1989. Those outfits could technically be considered transitional.

Photos from Coleco 1989 Catalogue, 1989 p. 7 & 9 and Hasbro 1990 Catalogue, p 2.

Confused yet? There’s more!

For an outline of the Coleco to Hasbro timeline, visit Transitional Period CPK Outfits – A Summary

Some of these outfits have both a Coleco and a Hasbro version, for example, #808, and some outfits were only produced by Hasbro, for example, #810. Based on an article from the Dec. 1988 Dolling Around Newsletter, it seems likely that the Hasbro outfits didn’t come out until 1989. So, I guess they are transitional. The article provides a list of the new 1988 outfits, and none of the Hasbro outfits are on the list. In addition, the VHTF Coleco outfits are missing, as I believe they would have thought them to be Growing Hair kid outfits (Ref #4, Dec. 1988, Vol 3, Iss. 1)

Some photos courtesy of Jodi Issacs.

As I said, some of these outfits also came on Growing Hair (GH) kids. When they did, they also came with a matching hair accessory. The outfits I have confirmed as coming on GH kids are #808, #809, #811, and #814.

Photos courtesy of Chris Hansing Tallman, Melissa Crick Gore, and Jennifer Runnoe.

Packaged? Nope

I have no evidence that these outfits ever came packaged. However, being so near the end of Coleco’s run, there may be package lots out there with individual pieces or entire outfits. Not being sold as packaged outfits and having been made for such a short period would also explain why the outfits in this series are generally harder to find.

Popular and Hard-to-find

Outfits #807 and #812 are the most sought-after outfits in this series, with #807 being copied frequently. One collector has gone so far as to hand copy the pattern of the fabric and recreate it so she could make exact replicas. They’re amazing! As for #812, cats.

 #805 would be the hardest to find if it exists, but at the moment, I believe that #814 and #809 (Coleco version) hold this title. Given Coleco’s previous history, there’s a good chance #813 was never produced.

There are many additional unusual aspects to these outfits. To find out more about each specific outfit, visit:
All About Outfits #804 – #809
All about Outfits #810 – #815 (Future Post)

Lacing CPK Shoes

Learn how to lace High-top (aka Lace-up) shoes and Sneakers. There may be more options than you think!
Pictorial and video demonstrations included.

Note: Below you will see a slideshow for each procedure. You can also find videos of me showing how to tie the shoes here:  Lacing CPK Shoes

Lacing Sneakers

This is pretty straightforward. There are only four holes.

(More information – Shoes: Sneakers)

Lacing High-tops

I have found that there are at least two ways that CPK high-top shoes were laced. I’m not sure exactly which factories used which one, but I’ll tell you what I (think) I know.

If you have a MIB kid whose shoes have never been untied and you see a different pattern, I’d love to hear about it! I’d also love to know which factories used which option.

(More information Shoes: Regular ‘lace up’ )

Option 1

I have seen this procedure used by the P, OK, and KT factories. This is what I would call the normal way of lacing, as the ends of the laces are pulled even as you go.

Option 2

I found this procedure on a few OK factory kids. I don’t believe they were all done this way, but the ones I’ve seen were on OK kids.

I believe that this procedure has a significant benefit over the other option. When you pull the laces tight, there isn’t as much pressure on the holes, and they won’t rip as easily.

Other shoes that have laces

Here are pictures of other CPK shoes and how they were originally tied. I apologize. I don’t have many pictures, but I’m always willing to add those sent to me.

Other suggested posts: CPK Shoes: An Overview and Links

Unboxing a Treasure for St. Patrick’s Day

This St. Patricks Day I celebrated by purchasing a unicorn! Join me as I unbox my treasure at the end of the rainbow.

I bought myself a unicorn and it arrived in time for St. Paddy’s Day! Join me as I unbox the treasure at the end of the rainbow.

Spoiler Alert! Only scroll down if you know what the unicorn is!

Meet Mateo Lucas (blue) and Patrick Dante (green).
Patrick is wearing my unicorn outfit!
How appropriate for St. Patrick’s Day.
Of course, what else was I going to name him? After all, he’s all about the green!

Transitional Period CPK Outfits – A Summary

As Hasbro took over production of the Cabbage Patch brand, chaos ensued. Find out what collectors means by ‘transitional’ and how this is reflected in the clothing.

Quick List/Links

  • 9 – #101 – #152 (BBB, Preemie, Toddler, Regular kids) (Future Posts)
  • 9 – Designer Line Kid outfits (150s, 170-180s)
  • 9 – Sippin’ Kid outfits (160s) (Future Post)
  • 0 – 400s (BBB outfits) (Future Post)

Transition: the process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another.

(Google Dictionary)

In this instance, we’re referring to the transition from Coleco to Hasbro as the manufacturer of the Cabbage Patch brand, 1989 – 1990. This progression, and the chaos it caused, can be seen in the tags used in their clothes. It occurs in five stages.

Stage 1 Tags: 9 – Amsterdam and Gloversville, NY – Coleco

Coleco began using the location Amsterdam, NY, on their tags in late 1987 (I think) and continued until sometime in 1989. Then they switched to Gloversville, NY, the last known Coleco location used on their tags. Consequently, Gloversville tags only occurred in outfits that came out in the first 6-months of 1989. These outfits all have 9 – in front of their outfit code. (See Part 2: The Code Addition for an explanation). Some of the outfits produced in 1989 were designed earlier but weren’t sold until then.

Coleco Cabbage patch kid clothing tag with Gloversville, NY, as the location, clothing code 9-167A and factory OK.

Outfits series sold at this time (that I know of):

  • 9 – #101 – #153 (BBB, Preemie, Toddler, Regular kids)
  • Designer Line outfits 150s (all Gloversville)
  • 9 – Sippin’ Kid outfits (160s)

Stage 2 Tags: 9 – Pawtucket, RI – Hasbro

The codes in these outfits have the 9 –, indicating they are also from 1989, but they are made by a different company. These tags have a Coleco-like clothing code and factory code but are now listed as being made by Hasbro out of Pawtucket, RI. They introduced a new factory code H101, likely intending the H to indicate Hasbro. This happened because Hasbro bought out Coleco in July of 1989 (Ref#3, p. 176).

Outfits series sold at this time (that I know of):

Stage 3 Tags: 0 – Pawtucket, RI – Hasbro

Following along with the year labelling convention, if 9- is for 1989, then the 0 – would be for 1990. So, these outfits were sold in 1990. However, the tag looks more Hasbro-like than Coleco now. In addition, there are very few outfits with this code. The only outfits produced at this time were the BBB 400s. series (Future Post). These outfits are likely the last of the Coleco designs Hasbro used OR their first attempts at their own designs. My guess is the latter, as all four outfits in this series mimic the look of earlier Coleco-produced outfits.

Hasbro Cabbage patch kid clothing tag with Pawtucket, RI as the location, clothing code 0-100D and no factory code.

Stage 4 Tags: Hasbro tag

By this stage, the tags are all Hasbro, and there are no codes on them at all. It appears that, although they considered or tried to keep using the Coleco coding system, they gave it up rather quickly, likely sometime in 1990.

Hasbro Cabbage patch kid clothing tag with Pawtucket, RI.

Outfits series sold at this time (that I know of):

  • Outfits #148, #151
  • Outfits #116 – #120
  • Hasbro produced versions of some 800-815 series
  • Some early Hasbro BBB outfits
  • Some early Hasbro regular kid outfits (generally a duplicate in some way of a Coleco outfit)
  • Many Poseable Kid outfits
  • Some Splash and See packaged outfits
  • Hasbro Fashion Separates Line – packaged
  • Hasbro Deluxe Fashions Line – packaged
  • Hasbro Fashions Line – packaged (likely but not confirmed by tag yet)

Stage 5 Tags: No tag

By 1991, Hasbro was producing their own kids and clothes. None of the outfits are tagged. Some of these lines include Babies (BBBs), Babyland Kids, Poseables (replaced the regular kids), Birthday Kids, Preschoolers, Designer Line Kids and Kissin’ Kids. (Ref#2, p.104))

Hasbro Catalogue 1990, p.4

Transitional Dolls

Although many dolls were sold in these two years, what most collectors refer to as a ‘Transitional doll’ is very specific and quite sought after, as few were produced. These dolls are an amalgam of Hasbro and Coleco parts. One might have a Coleco head, Hasbro body, and Coleco outfit. Or a Coleco body and head, but wear a Hasbro-tagged outfit. There are several possible combinations. (Ref#3, p. 176)

Selling off Coleco Stock

During the Transitional period, you could find odd packages of Cabbage Patch clothing and accessories that were being sold off by Coleco and Hasbro. For example, you might find a Coleco outfit on a Hasbro board and in others, it’s a mishmash of items that don’t belong together on what looks to be an unauthorized board, but isn’t. Hasbro used a variety of avenues to rid themselves of leftover stock. Refer to PTP: Packaged Outfits: Questions and (Some) Answers for more information.

Circus Kids – Call in the clowns!

Make way for “The Greatest Kids on Earth” and join us at the circus! These outfits have lots of bright colours and wacky hats. Which one is your favourite?

Circus kids came out in 1985 and like a lot of the specialty kids, did not sell well. Some may have been sold in 1987, but they were only manufactured in 1986. The series consists of six clown outfits (#100 – #105) and a ringmaster outfit. (see below) There are two versions of each outfit. The outfit names were created by Coleco.

All 12 of the cabbage patch circus kids outfits, two circus horses and the ringmaster displayed on a white background.
Fantastic picture courtesy of Holly Spencer.
Note: The circus ponies came out in 1987. (Ref #3, p. 134)

Circus kids come with a distinctive box, hand tag, and birth certificate. They also came with a clown-themed poster in the box and a trading card in the birth certificate envelope. (Ref#2, p. 72) The original boxes were sort of tent-shaped but later boxes were more rectangular (see ringmaster box below). (Ref #3, p. 133)

They were made by the KT and P factories. I don’t think that each factory produced all six outfits, as I’ve only recorded one factory per outfit so far. However, different factories could produce A and B. These outfits are on the coding matrix but create a duplicate set of #100 – #105 numbers.

One reference noted that these outfits came on P, KT and OK kids. In this case, the OK kids wouldn’t match their outfits. What combination is your Circus kid? (Ref#2, p. 72)

 There are several different tags from both factories. This is likely due to changing trends during the production period.

Each outfit comes with a pair of clown shoes, socks, and a head accessory. The shoes are stamped on the bottom with a factory code, and one shoe from each pair will be a squeaker. The socks are always made of brightly coloured silky material and are quite a bit longer than regular socks. In addition, the socks have no distinctive top edge.

As with all the specialty outfits, these outfits were eventually packaged and sold separately from the dolls. In addition, you can sometimes find individual pieces of these outfits in ‘lot’ packages. Leftover Jesmar stock dolls were also dressed as clowns and were sold on the Canadian Market in bilingual boxes. (Ref#2, p.72) I don’t remember seeing a clown in a ‘regular’ box, but it could have happened. Many other specialty outfits were sold this way in later years.

Do I have all the pieces?

Along with the face mask, headgear, socks, and shoes, each outfit includes the following:

Preppy Polka Dot – #100

  • One-piece romper with sleeves
  • Pointed hat with ruffle
  • Neck ruffle

Cuddly Crinkles

  • Top with a large neck ruffle and three pom poms
  • Matching bottoms
  • White pointed hat with ruffle and pom pom

Bashful Bow

  • Dress
  • Yellow bloomers with white polka dots
  • Large puffy hair bow

Teasin’ Topper

  • Shirt (structured like a t-shirt)
  • Vest with tails
  • Matching shorts
  • Small bow tie
  • Small hard vinyl top hat

Rowdy Rainbow

  • Shorts with suspenders (detachable)
  • Shirt with collar
  • Large neck tie (sewn on)

Preppy Pom Pom

  • One piece romper with the large pom poms
  • Small neck ruffle
  • Vinyl bowler hat

The Ringmaster Outfit – #188

This outfit is the only 188 I have recorded, and for some reason, was coded separately from the clown outfits.  This outfit was worn by both boy and girl dolls. The doll came in a circus box with a Circus Kid birth certificate and included a black megaphone. I am unsure if these dolls came with a poster.

The outfit includes a black bowtie, a red velveteen jacket with tails, a fancy white shirt with ruffles down the front, a gold and red vest, white satin jodhoppers, high black boots, and a large black top hat.

The boots are factory labelled on the inside rim and are easily confused with the Russian World Traveler boots. The more obvious differences are the detailing and the height. The Russian boot is shorter than the ringmaster boot.

Other Information

These are the photo from the 1987 Coleco Catalogue. It looks like they used actual outfits for these pictures, which is unusual.


A Butterick sewing pattern was available to make your own clown costumes.

Courtesy of Vanessa Wagner.

The Funky Bootie

Is it or isn’t it? Is it CPK or not? If not, what? It’s so easy to confuse CPK clothes with non-CPK clothes!

Do you recognize this bootie? At first glance, it looks like a regular Outfit #2 or preemie bootie. However, upon closer inspection, it’s not!

The Differences

  • The sole is distinctive.
  • The tie doesn’t thread through the bootie.
  • The opening has a distinctive band that is wider than any CPK booties.
8 white or yellow knit booties, all CPK, all from various factories.
Cabbage Patch Booties from various factories.

It is very easy to get CPK and other doll clothes confused. As only a portion of CPK clothes are tagged in some way, it’s understandable.

Am I wrong? Is this CPK? I don’t think so. Do you know where this bootie comes from?

Other posts you may be intersted in: Shoes: Knit Booties